Entry 5 of a trip titled: "ABC...Easy as 123!"

UVA Summer Study Abroad in Shanghai - A clash of cultures - An ABC sets foot in China for the first time, learning the ways, culture, and language of her ancestors - all while having a ballinn' time.

I woke up at 10AM and called Diana. Then I watched Italy defeat Spain in the EuroCup. At noon I checked out of my hotel and stored two bags there. Like yesterday, I spent the next five hours walking the streets of Beijing. I am proud to say that of all the places I wanted to go to today I found them perfectly on my own by foot. My first stop was...

Today I was on my own in Beijing. For the first time I slept in late and watched Nertherlands lose in the EuroCup. Eventually I ventured out of my hotel for what would be five hours of walking the streets of Beijing. I have no idea how many miles I went but I am sure it was quite a bit. The furthest point I reached from my hotel was Ditan Park. ...

I was picked upat 7:20AM today and had one guy, A.J., from Toronto and two women from Germany joining me. We began the day with a 2 hour drive to the Mutianyu Great Wall. The drive was great because it went through numerous small towns and farms that provided great scenary. The absolute best part of the day was the weather!!! Today was the very ...

In my tour today I toured with an Asian American family from the United States so even though they spoke English I stood out even more! The tour started today at the Beijing Zoo. At present, the zoo houses over 7,000 creatures of 600 different species, including the giant panda, red-crowned crane and Pere David's deer-all unique to China-as well...

I was picked up at 8AM for today's tour. The mother and son from India were there again so it was nice to see a familiar face and have someone to talk to throughout the day. Our first stop was the Forbidden City. It was absolutely impressive!! First, it was just a thrill to be in a place that was the home to 34 emperors of China. Even a century ...

My first tour left my hotel at 7:20AM. I met a mother and son from India that I talked with most of theday. There was also a friendly couple from Moscow. Our first stop was the Ming Tombs. At a distance of 50 km northwest of Beijing stands an arc-shaped cluster of hills fronted by a small plain. Here is where 13 emperors of the Ming dynasty (136...

Finally I landed in Beijing after a 14 hour flight from New York. The time was exactly 12 hours ahead here. I was picked up at the airport and taken to my hotel. Unfortunately I made reservations for the next five nights, but I had forgotten to make it for tonight. It was no big deal other than the fact that they didn't speak any English. Nobody...